Congrats on finally getting a line. Delta automatically grabs time over 80 hrs (min 5 hours if memory serves me right) to repay a negative bank. It stops at zero, i.e., they will not automatically take time to build a positive bank like NWA did.

 

Yeah, I'm in the same boat. From what I recall we went negative bank when they paid us 80 hrs during initial training. Since most of us sat on reserve quite a bit we never paid it off. That bank transferred to Delta and we carry it over. I think that's how it went. I'm finally going even bank now.

 

I agree, and with the cutting of the AMM and CAI flights, we are going to have to get a bunch of other trans-atlantic flying to keep the ratios intact. Could mean the return of JFK/ATL to CDG flying to our guys, or maybe some more off-hub Europre flying like the PIT/BOS/PHL to CDG and BOS/MIA to LHR flying.

No matter what, I plan on hearing from DALPA soon on how that affects the Protocol Agreement WRT the JV and how Delta Pilots are going to be protected with these shifts.

Boy oh boy, the Scope Compliance Committee certainly has lots of things to investigate lately!!

 

Sink. A little premature on the analysis. Do we JV with them out of SLC? That is the key to answer, cause if we don't, there went a lot of CDG-SLC and connecting on to the Bay Area/Nor Cal market.

If we can no longer justify an ER out of SLC, then what?

 

VX A320 flying formation with Virgin Galactic White Knight 2 (including formation landing at SFO. Pretty cool....
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Per the JV protocols that all the companies and the unions signed, an equivalent number of available "seat miles"(or seat kilometers for the European types) will have to be transferred to DAL metal for us to fly across the Atlantic.

 

It is not just limited to the "new hires." Unless you overflew 80 hrs a month a lot or actively worked towards paying off your bank, many had a -15 bank when we changed over. The info about Delta grabbing the "over 80" for bank payback is correct.

 

Thanks for the insight. I guess my question is how it got there in the first place? The extra pay in training was mentioned, but I went through my old NW statements and they were still adding to it a year after I was hired until it hit the -15 limit. I can tell you with certainty that I never manipulated that bank on my own and that I never went cumulatively 15 hrs over min guarantee during that time. Man, I wish I had noticed it back then so I could ask the people that were actually well versed on the manner before the merger and so I wouldn't be paying it back at my higher payrate. There's a few hundred dollars the company gets out of me for free.

 

As you know the metric is ESK's or Equal seat Kilometers. It is very complex and does not just deal with passengers but cargo capability as well.

Not directed at you, but in general: It is a North Atlantic JV, not a Europe to the Eastern United States, so yes, this change effects it. I beleive it is being flown on the 777-300 right now. (At least that is what I saw last month sitting at the gate)

 

As I said, we don't offer anything competitive with LH's 380. If someone was going to Europe from SFO, and was given the choice of a single connection in FRA on a A380, and a double connection via SLC and CDG on a ER... I'm pretty sure LH would win.

Since I don't think we were anywhere close to launching a direct to AMS or CDG from SFO with lie-flats, and amenities equivalent to the 380, then this is a move that's exploring JV revenue on a city pair we're not toying with all that much.

I didn't say this is anything to do backflips over, but it is an example of the JV working as intended.

If we're distributing flying on the basis of ASM's, then I would imagine one A380 SFO-CDG needs at least two 7ER's from the East Coast to offset. And if this dings the SLC-CDG flight, which I don't really see (there are plenty of better options from SFO on Star), then we need further offset.

I can certainly review my analysis if warranted. At a glance, I'm not worried about this one. I'm more concerned we'll not see AMM or CAI back from JFK, for example.